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31.8.12

Ah, September is here! I love Autumn and lucky for me it is now just around the corner! Whether you are holding on to the last few moments of summer or eagerly anticipating the crispness of Fall with me, I hope you love these picks for my September calendar roundup.

17.8.12

Being in a creative profession (I'm a Graphic Designer) I believe this to my core. I work hard to foster Chace's (my three year old) creativity and keep him inspired. There is nothing better then seeing the uninhibited creations of a toddler.

10.8.12

I've started a little feature that will be only on my Facebook page where I, well, feature one great blog every Friday!

The blogs I will be showcasing are just some of my personal faves that I feel have a lot to offer. I thought it was a fun way to introduce blogs that have amazing content to new readers. Kind of like a virtual blind date set-up if you will.

But don't worry, you don't have to pick up the tab for dinner.

If this little exclusive to my Facebook Fans interests you, please click on over and like me (and see who I'm featuring today).

7.8.12

Similarly to how I added new art to our living room (in the form of the painting I did of Chace), I decided to update the art that hung over our leather chair in the family room off the kitchen - and was able to do it for free!

Here is what it looked like before. This is an old picture - I've since redone that tray table - which has since moved to a different location. And Chace's high chair (in the background) is now in storage (sniff) but you get the idea...

Now this same corner looks like this...

Nothing drastic - but still nice.

As mentioned, it was a free makeover as I already owned the frames (but had nothing in them) and took the photos myself. I actually took them the day after I got my current camera as I was eager to test it out (so that would make it Boxing Day 2009). The photos were taken in the forest behind our home. Can't beat that for location and price!

Here is a closer image of them both.

I simply printed each photo out on our home colour printer and trimmed off the white margin.Then I mounted each on a piece of black paper to creat a matt. I then mounted that on the matt that came with the frame.

And since it's really hard to take a clear photo of a photo, here are the two shots that I have in the frames.

One of the speedest art upgrades in history!

What about you - ever made a new display with what you had on hand? Taken photos and used them as art? Gotten sentimental about seeing a snippet of your son's high chair in an old photo? No. Just me then I guess ;).

2.8.12

Back last Fall when I painted our fireplace mantel black I was not thinking about how I would decorate it come Summer. Not that I regret for one second making the switch but sometimes solving one problem creates a new challenge.

I didn't blog about how I decorated it for Spring (Easter) but basically it was a woodsey egg theme. Here are a few shots I took before I dismanteled the 'ol mantel.

But what to do with a BLACK MANTEL in summer?

After some reflection (ha, get it? See that big mirror above the mantel) I decided I needed to keep it simple, graphic, punchy and bright. I needed some large vibrant elements that could compete with the heaviness of the black paint colour.

Well hello pink hydrangeas. Thank you for stopping by.

Here it is from a greater distance so that you can see the full effect.

Chef Kev bought a new (to us) beer to try a month or so ago and I loved the simplicity of the bottles so much that I washed and kept them. I thought they'd come in handy for something and this was their first task.

I simply filled five of my new 'vases' with water and added a single hydrangea bloom to each.

Hydrangea stems are very stalky (think tree branch) so to prolong the life of this type of bloom, cut a slit up the stem to allow for better water absorbtion.

Isn't the refection from the mirror neat? It makes it look like there are twice as many bottles and blooms.

And a few close-ups for you...

And one last shot of the room from a distance. You can see the painting I did of Chace. Aren't the bright colours in his painting fun with the pink hydrangeas?

What do you think? Ever changed something in your house for the better only to find yourself with a new dilema? Anyone else decorated their mantel for the summer? Turned any beer bottles into impromptu vases recently?